breaking news this morning, deadly storms in texas. severe spring weather striking with a vengeance. death, destruction, dozens of injuries from possible tornadoes. >> there's just nothing left. there's just nothing left. >> a sleepless night for emergency crews. we have the latest from the scene. under fire, the president is set to face severe questioning again even as the white house takes action in two growing scandals. involving the irs and the deadly attack in benghazi. subway shocker. the moment a stroller falls onto a live train track there. the baby strapped inside. we will show you what happens next. still soaring, this just in, no winning ticket overnight. that means the massive powerball ticket payout keeps on growing.

good thursday morning. crews in north texas have worked through the night looking for people who may still be trapped in the rubble from those storms. >> at least six people died when powerful tornadoes touched down just after dinner. dozens of homes destroyed or damaged. >> and the storm threat is still not over. there are watches and warnings posted throughout the morning as the storm makes its way east now, and we begin with abc's devin dwyer. [ sirens ] >> reporter: the outbreak of tornadoes hit north texas hard. at least three confirmed twisters left a path of destruction, a war zone of damaged and destroyed homes. the town of granbury southwest of ft. worth was hardest hit. many of the homes there were built by habitat for humanity. >> most all of that is in heavy damaged to totally destroyed conditions out there. >> reporter: survivors described a horrific ordeal, thankful to be alive. >> you could feel it. it's just like there's a real calm and then all of a sudden a

vacuum and you feel like, whoa, what's going on? >> then all of a sudden things just started swirling. you could see stuff going all through the air. ten, ten roofs. i had stuff started hitting the house. >> we made it, but there's people missing still. >> reporter: the storms also dropped heavy rain flooding streets and shutting down highways. some areas saw hail the size of grapefruits. first responders are now combing the wreckage and warning the death toll could climb. the red cross says it's ramping up operations. >> we're going to be very busy in the next couple of days. >> reporter: so far this year, the number of tornadoes has been well below average thanks to cooler spring temperatures. forecasters say that trend may be coming to an end with the threat of more damaging storms across texas and the midwest stretching into the weekend. devin dwyer, abc news. >> the red cross has set up shelters in the city for families who have lost everything. >> we will have much more coming up from our extreme weather team on "good morning america." and now to our other big

story this morning. president obama looking to get control of a couple of scandals that are distracting attention from his second term agenda. >> he'll have a chance to address the irs targeting of tea party groups and that benghazi attack investigation at a news conference today as abc's tahman bradley reports, there is plenty to talk about. >> reporter: his administration under fire on multiple fronts, president obama took on one of the controversies directly, the president expressing anger that the irs improperly screened conservative groups. >> i will not tolerate this kind of behavior in any agency, but especially in the irs given the power that it has and the reach that it has in all of our lives. >> reporter: the president personally announced that the acting irs commissioner, steven miller, is out. the resignation coming after an explosion of outrage. >> my question is, who's going to jail? >> reporter: the scandal keeps growing. more conservatives have come forward claiming they too were targeted by the irs.

the preacher, franklin graham, suggested the irs audited his charities after he stood up against gay marriage. fighting another toxic topic, the white house finally gave in to republican demands and released the e-mails among officials in the days after the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya. they show, as abc news reported, that talking points underwent 12 revisions, many of the changes made after the state department expressed concerns. the edits removed references to an al qaeda affiliate, as well as references to previous cia warnings about terror threats in benghazi. not an easy day for the obama administration. president obama will take on these controversies and more during a news conference later today. john and diana. >> tahman, thank you. attorney general eric holder was grilled on capitol hill about several of the obama administration's controversies. one of the sharpest exchanges came when holder was being questioned by california congress p ma congrema darrell issa,

who accused holder of not being forthcoming. >> yes, you didn't want us to see the details. mr. attorney general -- >> no. >> -- in knowing the to and from -- >> i'm not going to stop talking now. to characterize something as something else -- >> mr. chairman, will you inform the witness as to the rules of this committee? >> -- too consistent with the way you conduct yourself as a member of congress. it's unacceptable and it's shameful. >> the congressman ignored holder's comments there and continued his line of questioning. lawyers for cleveland kidnapping suspect ariel castro say he will plead not guilty, and they are questioning whether castro can get a fair trial anywhere in the u.s. his attorneys say that castro is despondent spending 24 hours a day in a 9x9 cell. his lawyers insist that castro loves his 6-year-old daughter born to one of the victims. another alleged victim, gina dejesus, has visited a hair salon for the first time in a decade. since her rescue we've only had that brief glimpse of dejesus as she returned home. well, jurors in the jodi arias case had to decide if that

crime could warrant the death penalty. the jury in phoenix had to determine if the killing was committed in an especially cruel and heinous matter. they decided it did. they seem to be a foregone conclusion given arias' boyfriend was stabbed in the heart and shot in the forehead. the search for susan powell led investigators to a property in rural oregon. but so far they've come up empty. powell's dad says he's committed that his daughter hasn't been found on the land where relatives of his son-in-law, josh powell, once lived. susan powell vanished in december 2009. her husband was never charged but last year he killed himself and the couple's two young sons. and back to capitol hill now, mark sanford has started his brand-new job as a republican congressman for south carolina. he was sworn in yesterday retaking the seat he held before becoming south carolina's governor. sanford's career came off the rails when he admitted to visiting a mistress in south america while claiming that he was hiking on the appalachian trail. and that hearing with the attorney generally wasn't all

contentious. how could it be with north carolina democrat mell watt doubling as a baby-sitter for his 2-year-old grandson. that's little nico there, and he was well behaved until watt had to do some talking, but he didn't want to go to a staffer, so watt had to take him back. >> that little fellow could come in handy. if you get in a tight spot, just bust him out. >> what a cutie. >> cute kid, right. time now for weather across the nation. severe weather in texas that will move toward the midwest and the ohio valley. st. louis, kansas city and cincinnati could see gusty winds and hail. dry in the southwest. san francisco will see showers by the afternoon. >> and it's going to be summer-like in the northeast with temperatures in the 80s, warm also along the gulf coast with highs near 90. all right, still to come, new rankings just out, which airlines are best when it comes to on-time performance. also ahead, o.j. simpson fights for a second chance. hear from the former football great as he tells the judge why he deserves a new trial. plus more on our top story, the breaking news out of texas where deadly tornadoes have devastated a small town. the latest coming up.

welcome back. wall street is basking in record territory this morning. the dow surged another 60 points yesterday to an all-time high of 15,275. the s&p rose 8 points to a record 1658. investors managed to push the market up despite a morning slump and a handful of disappointing economic reports. the government is out with a new report card about our on-time performance for the airlines. it chose the big carriers slightly later arriving in the month of march and canceled more flights than they did last year. most on-time hawaiian,

virgin and alaska airline. google's product showcase, most attention was focused on the ceo's voice. >> the opportunities we have are tremendous. >> that's larry page making a rare appearance and a day after disclosing he suffers from vocal cord paralysis. the speech must have eased some mind because the stock passed $900 a share for the first time ever yesterday. someone is willing to pay a lot of money to sit down with page's rival over at apple. a date with tim cook has been auctioned off for 610,000 bucks on the website charity buzz. the bidder who remains anonymous will get to spend an hour with cook. we mentioned new highs on wall street and stock prices aren't the only things that are setting records of the christie's has just auctioned off a record $495 million worth

of contemporary art. liechtenstein, the eye-popping prices, $56 million for this roy liechtenstein. "women with flowered hats" is based on an earlier painting by picasso and this jackson pollock which is a dripped painting, number 19, went on for a record of $58.3 million. >> oh, man. i don't -- >> see him make those -- >> it's art so -- i'm going to go home and do that. who needs the lottery? >> maybe in 100 years it'll be worth 56 million bucks. where this fire is headed. a near tragedy out of philadelphia subway stop. the heart-stopping video is coming up. "there are some people who say it's

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in southern california they're battling a fire that's quickly grown to 3,000 acres and spread to the los padres national forest north of los angeles where dry, thick trees are expected to add more fuel. for a look at this morning's road condition, could be a slippery start for commuters in the d.c. area. heavy rain is a threat, st. louis, kansas city and little rock. if you're flying airport delays possible in dallas, washington and san francisco. if you're just waking up the big story this morning is in texas where at least six people have died in dozens injured after a serious of tornadoes. the city of granbury 60 miles southwest of dallas was the hardest hit. >> crews are going house to house looking for anyone trapped or injured. the same storm spawned another tornado that witnesses described as being one mile wide. o.j. simpson has wrapped up his testimony telling a judge that he deserves a new trial. >> it is the first time we have heard simpson speak under oath in any trial. abc's brandi hitt is covering

the hearing in las vegas. >> reporter: with a shrug of the shoulders o.j. simpson headed straight to the witness stand to give the performance of his life, testifying for his freedom. >> not in my wildest dreams that these guys -- >> reporter: the former football great hopes the judge decides he deserves a new trial. on the basis his former lead attorney yale galanter mishandled the case on many levels. >> did you trust mr. galanter? >> yes. >> reporter: simpson testified the night before the las vegas heist, galanter advised him he had a legal right to confront two member selling sports memorabilia he maintains was stolen from him. >> i didn't break into anybody's room. i didn't beat up anybody. the guys acknowledged it was my stuff. >> reporter: during the trial he also claims galanter never told him about plea offers that were made from the prosecution. >> did you ever hear about a two to five? >> no. >> did you ever hear about a 30-month to 5?

>> no. >> reporter: he spent the last four years behind bars with one wrist handcuffed to the stand, the 65-year-old had difficulty pouring water. still, he often smiled in court showing off the charisma many remember. he insists galanter discouraged him from testifying back in 2008 but now he's confident this moment on the stand could sway the judge. >> happy to get to tell his story. >> yeah, i think he did really well. >> reporter: after a handful of other witnesses yale galanter will take the stand on friday where he's expected to tell his side of the story. brandi hitt, abc news, las vegas. police in new hampshire will face off with modern day robin hoods on a mission to help drivers avoid parking tickets. they walk around keene armed with coins to feed parking meters before they expire. the city's now suing that group accusing them of harassing the parking police and taking away city revenue. >> what i do not believe they have a right to do is follow

people around working even following them to the bathroom and waiting outside and saying really nasty things to them. >> i personally have been nothing but positive and tried to keep a good demeanor with all of the enforcers. >> the group says in the last six months they have saved 4,000 drivers from getting tickets. i like the idea. >> me too. some disturbing and stunning video this morning. it happened -- watch what happens at a routine bus stop in jo johnstown, pennsylvania, the deer smashed through the front window. it tries to make its way out again. the driver does pull over and open the doors. eventually the deer does run off and does appear to be okay. >> that is amazing video. all right, a terrifying scene at a philadelphia train station that could have easily ended in tragedy. take a look at this video. surveillance cameras rolling as a baby strapped in a stroller slowly slides off that platform and topples on to the train tracks five feet below. frantic mother jumps in after her daughter and lifts the 14-month-old out to safety with the help of some others.

luckily no oncoming train, the baby was treated for a cut to the head but will be fine. tough to watch. >> it is. now on to sports. it seems the nba's san francisco kings are staying in -- sacramento. sacramento kings are staying in sacramento for now. the league's board of governors voted down a plan to move the team to seattle. >> as for last night's playoff games highlights from espn. and a good thursday morning to everyone. i'm matt barrie with your "sportscenter" update. elimination night in the nba wednesday night. some teams looking to move on. some teams looking to stay. one of those teams looking to stay around kevin durant down to the grizz. connelly to prince. the grizz up 14. 30 seconds to play, defensive play of the year, marc gasol, big step-back jumper. grizz up 6. ten seconds to go. thunder down 2. kevin durant calling for the ball makes a nice move. doesn't go.

the grizzlies advance to theire finals with the win. dwyane wade, a game tied hoping he would help out as the heat wanted to get rid of the bulls. nate robinson with the big three. down 18 at one point. bulls up 6 at the half. third quarter, carlos boozer, tough lay-in. bulls up 7. fourth quarter, heat down 1. norris cole. that got the crowd fired up. heat up 1. under 5 to play, wade, hurt, played well. heat take a four-point lead and then just over three minutes left heat up five. wade, 18 points. heat go on to win, 94-91 and advance to the eastern conference finals. so half of the conference times are set. great wednesday night in the nba. i'm matt barrie with your "sportscenter" update. up next "the pulse," a

jackpot jumps. no powerball winner overnight. wait until you hear just how big it'll be. >> getting funky on eight wheels, the traffic-stopping beat when we return. ♪ when it comes to pizza crust, i like to do things... ♪ ...by hand. so tonight, things might get a little messy. ♪ [ chuckles ] ♪ that's nice. so, i'm gonna take my time and do it right. oops. let's get zesty. because it saves things. [ cellphone beeps ] like your marriage. [ boys laughing ] sanity. [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] and time. oh, and money. technology saves lots of money. take esurance for example. they were born online and built to save people money on car insurance. [ boys laughing ] yep. technology can do some amazing things.

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to tnk am seeing another dentist or something. [ male announcer ] go pro with crest pro-health clinical rinse. i love my teeth. i could get used to this! ♪ all right, time for "the pulse." and we start out with bad news to everyone watching. lady luck not on your side. no one won last night's $363 million jackpot. >> for the record here are the winning numbers, 2, 11, 26, 34 and 41. the powerball is 32. as you dry your tears like all of us and get ready to buy tickets on saturday's drawing, you should know that it's going to be worth at least $475 million. your chance of winning remains the same, though, 1 in 175 million. the cannes film festival got

started to a star-studded but soggy start. take a look at the usually sunny south of france. "the great gatsby" stars leonardo dicaprio, carey mulligan and tobey maguire got soaked as they walked the red carpet. >> a troupe of flappers also got stuck in the rain. the critics gave the film a cool reception. fancy footwork stopping traffic in houston. this is our "play of the day." >> juan carlos takes his disco dancing skills on the road every day showing off his signature rollerblading moves along a very busy parkway. >> that's the move i like. right there where he touches his head. juan carlos describes his dance as purely freestyle. he's been at it for 15 years. he says he gets his fair share of honks and kisses just for making people smile. made me smile. >> i don't know if he's all that in shape for doing this for ten years. >> i'm telling you what, he just needs to wear those shorter shorts. that would be more -- did i just shorts. that would be more -- did i just say that out loud? >>

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. thursday morning, thanks for joining us. >> first up a check on the forecast. will it be anything like yesterday? mike? >> a little like yesterday. it will be cool, even cooler-than-average today. that is the big weather story outside of the chance of a few sprinkles. good morning, everyone, you can see live doppler 7 hd showing contra costa county, and alameda county, so far, no ground sprinkles. but scattered sprinkles in the north, and the cold front is moving toward us and the radar runs are coming more impressive. the ground right now is a little bit too dry so it is not reaching the ground. this morning, scattered sprinkles and a scattered shower is possible. >> good morning, everyone, we

have sprinkles on the map, with areas indicated in grown so i dressed appropriately for the occasion. we have construction at the central freeway where we have lanes blocked off because of paving work northbound 101 to northbound 101 until 5:00 a.m. as we look at the drive in walnut creek southbound along 680 toward highway 24 you have a good drive out there northbound side no problems. >> developing news. details about the man in custody after massive search in a triple stabbing in san jose that left a one-year-old and a woman dead. abc7 news reporter cornell bernard is in alum rock neighborhood. >> the viewmont avenue in east san jose is a crime scene surrounded by police tape and sheriff deputies. it is where the brutal stabbing of a three-family members, only

a three-year-old girl survived. we learned that ruben ramirez is now a "person of interest" and was picked up by marshals in san francisco at 9:15 after a five-hour intense manhunt. we were over the neighborhood yesterday. ruben ramirez is wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of a one-year-old boy and a 48-year-old woman and a three-year-old survived. authorities believe ruben ramirez was related somehow to the victims. >> he has been located in the city of san francisco and our detectives reached out to the marshal service and the san francisco police department. he is now detained by the agencies. we are this talking to